Chronicles of coaching American football in Italy (2008, 2009 & 2018), in Sweden (2010, 2016 & 2017), in Switzerland (2012), winning a Division III National Championship in France (2012-13), in Spain (2015 & 2016) and in Mexico (2017) as well as walking the Camino de Santiago in August-September of 2010.

About Me

I have been married to Laurie for over 46 years. Our oldest son, Andy, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Jenn and their son Kevin. Our youngest son Mike lives in Oxnard, California with his wife Vanessa and their kids Jacob and Mary. Although I retired from teaching in June of 2007, the 2015 football season marked my 45th year of coaching football at five high schools in Southern California's Ventura County - Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Rio Mesa, Buena and Newbury Park. In 2008, I opted to try something totally different in my coaching career and started coaching in Europe. My EuroBall stops have been in Catania, Sicily in 2008 & '09, Hässleholm, Sweden in 2010, Thun, Switzerland in 2012, Lyon, France in 2012-13 with the 12-0 National Champion Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons, Murcia, Spain in 2015, Rivas, Spain in 2016, Upplands-Väsby, Sweden in the Spring of 2016 & '17, in Mexico to coach the Europe Warriors in Aug. & Dec. 2017 and now in 2018 in Varese, Italy. Join me as I explore and chronicle my newest adventures coaching American football in Europe. My European touring also included a 500 mile Pilgrimage Walk on the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2010.

In spite of the demands that her company places on her, Shannon has still found the time to help the Falcons on game days in a very important role. While studying at Seattle Pacific University, she majored in both Theology and Sports Medicine. It is in her second major that she has been of huge help to the Falcons.

She may have occasionally prayed for us as well, who knows?

Guilhem and Shannon

We had another one of those fun two hour lunches with them at one of our favorite spots, Les 3 Brasseurs. It was really nice to dine with this fun couple!

Afterward, I took Laurie across the street from Les 3 Brasseurs to lead her through her first ever IKEA experience. She said that she really did not want or need anything but she went anyway.

We bought things.

Tuesday night we met with the Falcons at the Stadium for a video meeting. After reviewing the game video from last Sunday's Hurricane game, the team took a hard look at the video of our second St-Cergues Bulldogs game on March 31st which was a tough one for us. We will need to have three good practices in order to have a solid chance against the resurgent Bulldogs on May 12th at home.

After the meeting some of the Falcons joined us at the Villeurbanne KFC for a chicken sandwich.

Or two.

Wednesday was the International Workers' Day or as some call it, May Day. I was all excited about heading down to Lyon's Place Bellecour for the big May Day parade but we ran into a small snag.

We had been warned by several friends including the Tesseyres to stock up on provisions by Tuesday night because nothing, literally nothing, would be open on Wednesday. No problem here, we did as we were advised thankfully.

Our main problem on Wednesday was that Lyon's entire public transportation system was not operating at all on the International Workers' Day. That is right, no bus, no tram and no Metro service for 24 hours.

Thus we were prisoners of The Villa.

Only one thing to do in a situation like this . . .

Have John cook up a Brunch!!!

Chocolate Pancakes and Sausages

YAHOO!!!

It was yet another experience in fine dining in Lyon!

The rest of the day was taken up relaxing by reading, surfing the net and watching a movie, Captain America, and several episodes of season two of Grey's Anatomy.

The fact that it rained for the entire morning and most of the early afternoon made a day indoors a bit easier to take.

Tomorrow we will join Jean-Charles and Marianne Damboise for a special Thursday edition of Travel Friday as the four of us are off on a day trip to the jewel of the Savoy Alps, the resort city of Annecy.